2 Corinthians 12:7-10

⁷ And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. ⁸ Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. ⁹ And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. ¹⁰ Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Commentary

Vs. 7 "And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure."

The Apostle Paul having declared all that he was privy too in having visions and revelations of the Lord (vs. 1-6). Now reveals that because of these things, to keep him from becoming exalted above measure, (i.e. become conceited, lit. "puffed up with pride") a thorn in flesh was given to him, what Paul describes as "....a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure." Now we do not know just what the thorn in the flesh was, which is good, lest we look for a something similar in our own lives, rather than seeing whatever thorns in the flesh God allows to come, or permits to exist in our own persons or lives (whether these things come from Satan, or by some others means), is only so that we also remain humble and dependent upon Him. 

Vs. 8 "Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me."

Understandably Paul wanted this thorn in the flesh removed, quite a natural reaction to what one initially feels is a ongoing or unbearable burden. Indeed Paul says that three times he pleaded with the Lord that it might depart from him. And so whatever it was, it must have been fairly serious, and fairly distressing to him, to plead with the Lord three times about it. 

Vs. 9  And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

In response to the Apostle Paul's plea, the Lord said to Paul, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Instead of removing it from him, the Lord chose to give Paul His grace to carry on through it. Therefore not all of the things that we want removed from our persons and lives will be. And so we should not then think it unusual, or become discouraged, if for whatever reasons the Lord also permits such things to come to us, or remain in our own persons and lives (consider Acts 14:22; 2 Tim 3:12; James 1:2-3; 1 Peter 4:12-19), because as God's grace was sufficient for the Apostle Paul, so it will be for us to. For it is God's grace that not only saves us (Eph. 2:8-9), but it is that same grace that also brings the power of Christ to us which sustains and enables and empowers us to likewise carry on and do what we could not have done in our own strengths, so that the Lord alone may be exalted and glorified and praised in and through all our weaknesses. For it is the grace of God that keeps us in perfect peace when our heart is set on Him, and not on the thorn in our flesh (consider Isaiah 26:3). And so whether these thorns in the flesh are temporary or permanent things, we must have a right perspective so that we too can remain faithful and fruitful in the Lord during them. Because God's grace which brings contentment and peace comes to us, and rests on us, only when we trust in Him while going through them (consider Phil 4:6-7). Therefore in light of such things, the Apostle Paul now says' that rather than seeing his own weaknesses (infirmities) as some sort of liabilities, he will now rather boast in them all, that the power of Christ may rest on me. The same then applies to us. For Satan loves to exalt our weakness against us. And so just as he loves to use these things against us to try to discourage us, or hinder us from stepping out in faith, so the Lord loves to use these very same weaknesses to triumph over him and them. 

Vs. 10 "Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

Now the sufficiency of God's grace for us is an encompassing grace, which knows neither bounds or limits. Therefore Paul could now readily embrace all kinds of things that would have previously only been seen by him as obstacles or burdens too his wholeheartedly serving the Lord. For as the Apostle Paul say's, "For when I am weak, then I am strong." Strong, not being in of himself and his own strengths and abilities, which is the way of the world, but strong in the Lord and the power of His might (see Eph. 6:10-20). Now the kinds of things Paul lists here really covers a broad spectrum of possibilities, which again can come into any Christians life. And so like Paul we too will learn that God's grace is also sufficient for us during them. And so from our infirmities (that is our incapacity's, limitations, weaknesses LN 74.23, consider 2 Cor. 13:4; Hebrews 4:13, 5:2; 11:34), to our enduring reproaches (that is our being mistreated, insulted), to our struggling through various kinds of needs (i.e. that which is a legitimate need which causes us distress because of a lack of it), to our going through the various kinds of persecutions (persecution, harassment, oppression, DBL Greek), to our likewise passing through all this life's distresses (consider Acts 14:21). God's grace is always sufficient, not just to enable us to endure them, but also to empower us to become fruitful and useful for the Kingdom of heaven's purposes down here while passing through them, because whatever negative things that happen to us down here, are all just temporary afflictions of the flesh (see 2 Cor 4:17-18), before we take our permanent place in our eternal heavenly home with Christ where such things will never be experienced again (Rev 21:4). 

Scripture Quotations

The New King James Version. (1982). (Mal 4:1). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

Additional Resources Consulted
Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: based on semantic domains (electronic ed. of the 2nd edition., Vol. 1, p. 764). New York: United Bible Societies.

Word Studies

Vs. 7 exalted (2x): ὑπεραίρομαιa, Str. 5229; GK. 5643; LN. 88.211
Vs. 10 infirmities: ἀσθένειαa, Str. 769; GK 819; TDNT 1.490; LN 74.23 (N.T. uses, Matt. 8:17; Luke 5:15, 8:2, 13:11-12; John 5:5, 11:4; Acts 28:9; Rom 6:19; 8:26; 1 Cor 2:3, 15:43; 2 Cor 11:30, 12:5, 9-10, 13:4; Gal 4:13; 1 Tim. 5:23; Hebrews 4:13, 5:2; 7:28; 11:34; 24x)
reproaches: ὕβρις, Str. 5196; GK. 5615; LN. 88:131; 33.391; 20.19; TDNT 8.295; TDNTA 1200 (Matt. 22:6; Luke 11:45; 18:45; Acts 14:5, 27:10, 21; Rom 1:30; 2 Cor 12:10; 1 Thess. 2:2; 1 Tim. 1:13; Heb 10:29; 11x)
needs: ἀνάγκηa, Str. 318; GK 340; LN. 22:1; TDNT 1.344; TDNTA 55; (Luke 21:23; 1 Cor 7:23; 2 Cor 6:4, 12:10; 1 Thess. 3:7).
persecutions, διωγμός, Str. 1375; GK 1501; LN. 39.45 (Matt. 13:21; Mark 4:17; 10:30; Acts 8:1; 13:50; Rom. 8:35; 2 Cor. 12:10; 2 Thess. 1:4; 2 Tim. 3:11 (2×) 10x
distresses, στενοχωρία: Str. 4730; GK 5103; TDNT 7.604; TDNTA 1077; LN 22:10 (Rom 2:9, 8:35; 2 Cor 6:4; 12:10) (4x)